Failing Priorities
In light of Hurricane Katrina's second anniversary, I think its fitting to pause for a moment to assess our national priorities. The number of Americans with health care coverage is down over the last year . Forty-seven million Americans were uninsured in 2006 compared to 44 million in 2005. This decline is mainly attributed to the decline in employer and government offered health insurance. This report comes as congress debates the re-authorization the State Children's Health Insurance Program. This program is designed to stabilize health costs for the children of the working poor who are not covered by other governmental programs. President Bush has vowed to veto both a House and a Senate version of the bills. Despite President Bush's unwillingness to support moderate increases in funding for children's health insurance, he is asking congress for fifty billion dollars more to spend on the war in Iraq .
How can anyone help but conclude that serving people -- other than campaign donors, of course -- doesn't even make the bottom of this administration's to-do list?
From Katrina victims to the U.S. troops in Iraq that constitute its last political crutch, the Bush administration has exhibited abusive behavior well beyond mere negligence. Indeed, this presidency’s callous disregard for the needs of virtually any set of Americans is positively impeachable. To the detriment of constitutional government and justice, this realization is dawning on the opposition party at a politically inconvenient time on the political calendar.
~ Josh Hilgart
September 3, 2007 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink